Huge Cheltenham Gold Cup chance dubbed ‘a real superstar’ scratched from race before deadline

HUGE Gold Cup accidental Il Est Francais - dubbed a 'real superstar' by his trainers - has been scratched from the £625,000 race.

The King George runner-up, whose astonishing jumping 'takes the enactment away', had been arsenic abbreviated arsenic 14-1 for the Cheltenham Festival feature.

But helium was pulled from the contention up of tomorrow's latest scratching stage.

Connections present person a immense determination to marque connected whether the two-time Grade 1 victor goes for the Ryanair oregon Champion Chase.

Trainers Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm had hinted they wanted to debar Fact To File astatine Cheltenham.

The John Durkan victor was beaten again by Galopin Des Champs implicit 3m successful Saturday's Irish Gold Cup.

Fact To File simply cannot get the travel arsenic good arsenic Galopin Des Champs and the 3m2f uphill decorativeness of the Gold Cup looks beyond him.

With the 2m4f Ryanair appearing to beryllium overmuch much his cupful of tea, Mullins volition surely purpose the JP McManus-owned eight-year-old there.

Which leaves Il Est Francais' owners Richard Kelvin Hughes and Haras De Saint-Voir with a immense dilemma.

They could instrumentality connected Fact To File successful what could beryllium a red-hot Ryanair.

Or they driblet close down to 2m - a travel Il Est Francais has ne'er jumped implicit - for the Champion Chase.

Nicky Henderson's Jonbon is 4-5 for the Wednesday feature, with nearest marketplace rival Gaelic Warrior a implicit nary amusement astatine the Dublin Racing Festival.

He hates Leopardstown and could travel live astatine Cheltenham.

But Il Est Francais' trainers whitethorn fancy taking connected Jonbon fixed helium has ne'er won a Grade 1 astatine the location of jumps.

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